Working in certain jobs and surrounded by a toxic soup of chemicals can double a woman’s risk of developing breast cancer, according to research published in the journal Endocrine Health.
British scientists leading an international study reviewed 1006 women with breast cancer in Southern Ontario, Canada, and compared them to 1147 randomly selected and matched women from the local community, whilst collecting information about participants’ occupational history. The scientists assessed the impact on cancer risk of spending ten years in certain occupations, taking account of a five-year time lag between exposure and diagnosis.
Working in agriculture increased the risk of developing breast cancer by 34 per cent on average; in the metals industry by 73 per cent and in the plastics industry (especially automotive), bar work and canning industries by more than 100 per cent. For younger pre-menopausal women, working in factories producing plastic components for cars or tin cans increased the risk a whopping five-fold.
Breast Cancer UK immediately demanded that the UK Government tighten chemical regulation in the workplace. All these compounds are endocrine-disrupters greatly affecting hormone (and especially oestrogen) levels. Clare Dimmer, who chairs the charity, said, This research reveals yet more evidence that our daily exposure to a cocktail of chemicals increases our vulnerability to diseases, such as breast cancer.
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